In today's computer systems, a computer's random access memory (RAM) typically includes a number of memory modules, such as single in-line memory modules (SIMMs) and dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). These memory modules include a number of individual memory chips mounted on a circuit board. The circuit board electrically connects the terminals of the chips to edge connectors located on a lower edge of the circuit board. The memory modules are then plugged into memory slots, which electrically connect the edge connectors of the memory module to other units within the computer system.
Computer designers may choose from numerous available, standardized memory modules of various types, sizes and configurations. If each memory module can itself provide information identifying the type and size of the memory module to external circuitry, computer systems can be designed which are compatible with a wide variety of memory modules. Other components of the computer system simply access the information identifying the memory module and interact with the memory module accordingly.
There exist numerous and well-known ways of storing the information identifying the type and size of memory module. One such way is to provide a plurality of jumpers on the circuit board, the state of each of the jumpers indicating by binary code the type, size and configuration of memory module contained on the circuit board. Alternatively, a non-volatile memory device, such as a Serial EEPROM can be preprogrammed with the identifying code, and then mounted on the circuit board together with the volatile RAM units, such as dynamic random access memory devices (DRAMs).